In Adoration of Ra
by Luthien-Anwaman
Summary: DISCONTINUED. When Teana arises at midnight one night, she has no idea what's in store for her, and what it all will lead to... AtemuxTeana JonoxMaia SetoxKisara
1. Feelings for the Pharaoh

**Lu:** This is my shot at an Ancient Egyptian fic. Anyone who likes YamixTea and JoeyxMai and my fics, you've gotta tell me whether you think I am as good at AtemuxTeana and JonoxMaia. Please, please, please read and review.

**Yami Lu:** At least it's not as bad as that other one you did.

**Lu:** Must you keep bringing that up? I've chucked it and deleted it from the Recycle Bin. It's gone. Behind me. A little footnote on my epic ass. That was a quote from the School of Rock. Who else loves that movie? The name of the fic is a line from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, that I thought fitted for a title. So here it is - Feelings for the Pharaoh, chapter one of In Adoration of Ra.****

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**Chapter 1 - Feelings for the Pharaoh**

The girl's eyes shot open.

She sat up. She was panting heavily, her heart pounding heavily. She had had a nightmare, something about the Pharaoh. She brushed the mass of brown hair out of her eyes, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. She lay back down on the hard cold slab of stone that she called a bed. There were small amounts of hay padding the structure, and a woven blanket covered her.

She stared up at the cracked and crumbling ceiling. She shut her eyes, but her mind kept racing over the details of the dream. She remembered seeing the Pharaoh, his mouth set in a hard, straight line. His tri-colour hair was limp, and his violet eyes were unseeing. He didn't seem to be breathing. There was also a dark shadow overhanging the surrounding barren landscape.

Her tanned face was troubled as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She couldn't get to sleep, not with those images in her mind. She exited the room, although she knew that if she was caught by anyone, she would be severely punished. Especially if she was caught by her master.

She padded lightly down the hallway, bare feet making little noise against the dusty ground. Moving out of the mud brick building, she sat down by a small fountain in a courtyard. She was servant to Priestess Isis, who was a kind master, but the laws of Egypt stated that you must not wander in the middle of the night.

She began to analyse her dream. She had had tis dream several times before, but had never had time to think about it. Why would she be dreaming about the Pharaoh? She had never even met him. She had occasionally been in his prescence while she was serving Isis, but he had never even taken a second glance at her. She didn't even know his name, because everyone referred to him as Pharaoh. Another question struck her. Why was he dead in her dream, and what was the shadow that she saw?

A rustling in the nearby bushes disturbed her train of thought. A girl with dark brown hair, dressed in pale browns and tans, emerged from the bushes. She spotted our subject and her eyes lit up with excitement and joy.

"Teana!" she exclaimed, beaming. Her voice was bubbly and cheerful. Teana smiled back, and shuffled across so the newcomer would sit next to her on the brim of the fountain. The girl took the seat gladly.

"Hello Mana. What are you doing up at this hour of the night? Does Mahado know you are here?" asked Teana. Mana was the apprentice of the Priest Mahado, and was higher ranked in Egypt than Teana. She had to be very respectful towards Mana, although the chance of Mana telling Priestess Isis that she was out of bed at this hour was slim to none, especially since it was unlikely that Priest Mahado knew that Mana was out of bed.

"No, Mahado thinks that I'm in bed. I was bored and couldn't get to sleep, so I got up. I snuck past Mahado, who was studying the scriptures, and then I explored for a while. I found Priest Seto's secret chamber!" replied Mana, barely even stopping to take a breath.

"Mana! You know that Priest Seto would kill you if he found out!" gasped Teana. Then her curious side overtook. "What was in there?"

"Well, there were some scriptures which I couldn't read, and a few basic scriptures which everyone knows. I would have seen more, but then Seto turned up."

"Oh sweet Isis, Mana, how did you get away?"

"Well, he came in, shuffled through some of the papyrus sheets, and took a couple of them. I was concealed in some of the folds of fabric at one corner of the room. Anyway, then someone came in. I don't know who it was, but they said something about Seto having to see the Pharaoh. Seto followed them out of the room. I came out at that point and got out of there as soon as I could."

"Wow, the Pharaoh wants to see Priest Seto at this time of the night? It must be pretty important!"

"That's exactly right," confirmed Mana. "Which is why we're going to go and find out what's going on." Teana gasped again.

"We're going to spy on the Pharaoh? But we can't do that! We'll be executed if we are caught! And what if the Pharaoh finds out? He'll never even look at us again!"

"And why would that matter? It's not as if you've even met him. I have heard of servants who got off when only the Pharaoh saw them. He doesn't tend to tell anyone if he notices people eavesdropping, I've talked to loads of servants who got spotted and didn't even get in trouble. Trust me, Teana, we won't get caught,"assured Mana. Teana was still uncomfortable. She really didn't want to get caught by the Pharaoh.

"OK..." she agreed cautiously. Mana grinned mischievously. She rose and tugged on Teana's arm.

"Let's go," she whispered, and disappeared into the darkness. Teana sighed and followed.

They weaved through bushes, gloomy alleyways and fields. Mana was in the lead, and she moved very quickly. Teana had to be on her toes to be able to follow. They finally reached the royal palace. A guard was standing outside, watching attentively. Mana prepared to sneak past him, but Teana held him back.

"Wait, I know him. He'll let us past if I ask him," hissed Teana. Mana hesistated, eyeing the guard suspiciously. She then nodded. Teana walked confidently out onto the path in front of him. He jumped slightly at her sudden appearence, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Teana, you scared me. I thought I actually had somethin' to worry about dere. Whatcha doin' up at dis time o' night?" he asked, curiously. He had a strong accent, but one that wasn't Egyptian. It was a foriegn accent, mingled with a slight Egyptian air.

"Hey Jono. Mana and I were going to spy on the Pharaoh. Will you let us in?"

"Wait, Teana!" yelled Mana as she sprang out of her hiding place. "Why are you telling him what we're doing. He's not even Egyptian, judging by his accent."

"No, I'm not Egyptian. I was sold as a slave ta de current Pharaoh's father, an' den when de current Pharaoh took de throne, he freed me. I'm now his official bodyguard," said Jono proudly. "Although I'm still not allowed ta listen in on de meetin's. But I'm still not allowed ta let ya in. Sorry Teana."

"Oh come on, it's not as if _you_ haven't eavesdropped on the Pharaoh before," teased Teana. Jono held up his hands as a sign of peace.

"Hey, I neva said _I_ hadn't, I just said I wasn't allowed ta let you in. But hey, just because I'm not allowed ta, doesn't mean I'm not gonna. Just don't expect me ta stand up fa you if ya get caught."

"Thank you Jono," squealed Teana, hugging Jono tightly. Jono hugged her back.

"Here ya go," grinned Jono. He showed Mana and Teana the back way through. "See ya later. Don't get caught. Good luck."

Mana and Teana crept silently along the narrow alleyway that led to the main meeting room. They approached the room cautiously. Several hushed voices could be heard from inside. They seemed to be all mens voices; deep and serious. There was one womans voice from within the chamber however. Teana recognised it as Priestess Isis.

"Mana, Isis is in there!" whispered Teana. "I can't stay here. If she catches me, I'm dead."

"Teana, she's more likely to catch you if you move, so just stay here and keep quiet," hissed Mana. She pulled Teana's arm so that she squatted next to her. Several hushed voices could be heard from within the chamber. Most of them were men's voices, but one was a woman's voice. Teana recognised it as Priestess Isis' voice.

"Mana, I can't stay here! What if Isis catches me? I can't risk it, I've got to go back!" Teana whispered desperately.

"Teana, you're more likely to get caught if you move now. Let's just listen. Stay here and keep quiet," commanded Mana, pulling Teana down next to her. Teana, terrified of the concequences of getting caught, squatted silently in fear, while Mana strained her ears to make sense of the muffled voices.

"My Pharaoh, the crops are beginning to fail. The Nile didn't flood enough this year, and I feel that troubled times may lie ahead for Egypt,"announced a voice that was easily recognised as Priest Seto's. Peeking over the window, Teana and Mana saw that he was shuffling through some pieces of Papyrus parchment. He stopped at one, which he then inconspicuously shoved into his robes.

_'I wonder what that scripture was about," _wondered Teana.

"That sheet wasn't in the pile of papers on his desk," said Mana under her breath. Teana pondered this for a second, but then a teen's voice spoke up.

"Priest Seto, do you think that our people will be able to survive through the winter?" it asked. Teana tried to locate the speaker. It was none of the priests, that was for sure. But there was no one else in there, apart from the Pharaoh.

"I'm sure they will," spoke up Isis. The Pharaoh nodded, half smiling.

"So, will it be neccessary for the palace to give up some food to keep the rest of the citizens alive?" asked the voice again. Teana was shocked to find that it _was_ the Pharaoh speaking. She had always thought of him as an adult, but the shocking revalation for the night was that he was only a teenager. He seemed much older in appearance.

"Of course not," said one of the older priests.

"But I want to! If Egypt is suffering, then I want to help them. I don't want my people dying," complained the Pharaoh. Teana was touched. He was willing to give up his own food to the people to keep them alive. Then she realised who she was thinking of. The one who had been in her dreams for the last week. Could it mean that she was developing feelings for him? No, no, it couldn't be, not for the Pharaoh.

"Atemu..." started a voice. But the Pharaoh held up his hand to silence him. Teana thought on the word for a moment. What could it mean?

"You called the Pharaoh by name!" gasped Mana's mentor, Mahado. Teana nearly let out a gasp, but stopped herself in time. The Pharaoh's name! She now knew the Pharaoh's name! She could barely calm her wildly beating heart.

_"Atemu... I will not forget that name,"_ thought Teana, drumming the name into her mind so that she would remember it for eternity.__

"It does not matter, Mahado. What matters here is the well-being of the people of Egypt. Halve the palaces intake of food and give that half to the people. There will still be plenty of food for us, and our people will not be suffering. Matter dismissed. Anything else?" asked Pharaoh Atemu.

"That was the only pressing matter. The rest can wait until next meeting," confirmed Seto.

"OK, council dismissed," said Atemu. The priests and priestess left the room, leaving Atemu alone. He glanced over to the window and smiled.

"It's OK, I know you're there," he said quietly. "Come out. I'm not going to report you." Teana's heart began pumping like there was no tomorrow.

They had been caught.

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**Lu:** I found this bit in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, just in one of the appendixes. 'Tum or _Atemu_ i.e. "the closer" was the great god of Annu, and the head of the great company of the gods of that place.' How cool is that? Atemu was one of the gods in Ancient Egyptian! Ignore me. Read and review! Let the cursor meet that little blue button.**__**


	2. Caught in the Act

**Lu:**  I'm back!  And I've brought my new chapter, Caught in the Act.  Say hi!

**Caught in the Act:** Hi.

**Lu:** Well, as is tradition, I better answer to reviews. 

kitty-gurl1: Well, here's the next chappie.  I'm taking this one slow, so the romance will be gradual.

DayDreamerz: This doesn't really have much of a plot yet.  The plot is still under construction.  I'm working on it, I promise!

Shining Friendship: Thanks!  Trust me, I wouldn't write any other ancient Egyptian pairings, maybe TristanxSerenity's equivalents in Egypt, but I'm too lazy to do that.

norestar-angel: It's not a one-shot, don't worry.

Jellybob 15: God no.  Yours is so much better.  I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter ::hint,hint::

Hysterik-Angel: You ain't seeing my crappy old one and that's final.  _I_ can't see it anymore, and I was the authoress.  So nya!  And I like cliffies!  But if you don't like cliffies, then don't read this chapter… ::gulps::  You're gonna kill me aren't you?

M.W.: Yup, I think we all knew that was Joey.  I mean, could I write a story without JoeyxMai in it?  Ever?  ::sigh::  I'm so pathetic…

Hikaru: Well, I'm working on The New Tournament update.  Lotsa romance, I promise!  And yes…  this story too…

**Lu:** OK, that's over, so you can read the chapter now!  Doesn't that sound fun?

**Yami Lu:** ::cough::Not likely::cough::

**Lu:** Shut up.  Here you go all you TeanaxAtemu fans out there.  And a mention of JonoxMaia.  Although it doesn't actually count yet.****

-

Jono fought against his drowsiness.  He was exhausted, because the Pharaoh had been chasing around all day at many meetings.  However, it was his duty to make sure that no one except the Priests and the Pharaoh were allowed inside the building, and he couldn't fall asleep at his post at risk of being executed.

Jono was a former slave, but Pharaoh Atemu had released him after many years of hard labour under Atemu's father.  He now served the Pharaoh as his ever-present, loyal bodyguard.  He was permitted to attend most of the Pharaoh's meetings, but tonight's was a top secret meeting, and Jono had been forbidden to come by Priest Seto, who had much power in Egypt.

As he struggled to remain awake, a rustling sound could be heard from the bushes.  He was jerked into an alert state by the sound, but he thought little of it.  His senses were dulled by his tiredness, and he wasn't exactly going to jump at the wind.

However, he was going to jump as a figure emerged from the bushes.  He was startled, to say the least, when Teana, one of the servants to Priestess Isis and Jono's friend, came out onto the path confidently.  When he had registered that she was no threat to the Pharaoh, he smiled and greeted her cheerfully.

"Teana, you scared me.  I thought I actually had somethin' to worry about dere.  Whatcha doin' up at dis time o' night?" he asked curiously.  He knew perfectly well that she was not meant to be there, but it wasn't as if Jono had never broken the law before.  In fact, he did it quite often.

"Hey Jono.  Mana and I were going to spy on the Pharaoh.  Will you let us in?" she questioned.  Jono knew he was under direct orders from Priest Seto not to let anyone in, but when had he ever followed orders?  Especially if they were from Priest Seto.  Seto had had something against Jono ever since the first day they met, but Jono couldn't do anything about it, considering he was much less important and socially inferior to the priest.  A small teenage girl sprang from the bushes.  She had dark skin and brown hair.  She looked confused and angry.

"Wait Teana!  Why are you telling him what we're doing?  He's not even Egyptian, judging by his accent," she yelled.  Jono was slightly offended.  Sure, he wasn't born in Egypt, but he had spent 10 out of the 16 years of his life in Egypt serving the Pharaoh's family.  He felt that after half his life had been spent serving the Egyptian Pharaoh, he should at least be considered Egyptian, even if his accent was not quite Egyptian.

"No, I'm not Egyptian.  I was sold as a slave ta de current Pharaoh's father, an' den when de current Pharaoh took de throne, he freed me.  I'm now his official bodyguard," he said proudly, and with a hint of indignancy.  "Although I'm still not allowed ta listen in on de meetin's.  But I'm still not allowed ta let ya in.  Sorry Teana."

"Oh come on, it's not as if _you _haven't eavesdropped on the Pharaoh before," teased Teana.  Jono held up his hands to signify peace and guilt.

"Hey, I neva said _I_ hadn't, I just said I wasn't allowed ta let you in," he explained.  He then considered the thought of letting the duo in.  It couldn't do him any harm, unless they were caught.  Even then, as long as the word didn't get to Priest Seto that he had let some one in, he may be able to escape the death sentence.  He made up his mind.  "But hey, just because I'm not allowed ta, doesn't mean I'm not gonna.  Just don't expect me ta stand up fa you if ya get caught."

"Thank you Jono!" squealed Teana, hugging him tightly.  Jono hugged her back.  They had been great friends ever since they had met during a meeting.  It was a highly secret meeting, so both had been forced to wait outside.  They had become quick friends, and had remained so for several years now.

"Here ya go," grinned Jono, showing the two rule-breakers the way into the palace.  "See ya later.  Don't get caught.  Good luck."

Once Teana and Mana had disappeared, Jono sighed heavily and went back to his post.  There wasn't much to do - this had been a spontaneous meeting, not planned or anything, so no one could have found out the arrangements.  Therefore, it was unlikely that any spies, assassins or otherwise would turn up.  However, it was a requirement of all meetings that some one guard the door, and Jono was the only one of the guards that was available.

His thoughts began to drift, not to his usual train of thought about what life would have been like if he hadn't been captured as a slave, or another common train about what Atemu might get him into next.  No, this time he was thinking about someone _other_ than himself.  He was thinking about a girl. 

He and the Pharaoh had been to a meeting the previous day, and the representative from his home country, Greece, was the princess.  Nobody had mentioned her name, but he knew that it began with an 'M', because he had a vague recalling from his distant childhood.  She had the most entrapturing violet eyes, the most exquisite long, blonde hair and the most graceful and elegant figure.

Despite her beautiful and delicate appearence, she had seemed very independent at the meeting.  She was not like all the girls in Egypt, who were obedient and quiet.  The princess had been outgoing, and ready to argue as much as the men.  It wasn't often you could find a woman like that.  Since men were considered the superior gender, the men at the meeting had gazed upon her with distaste. 

However, Jono and Atemu had been fascinated by this strange woman.  They had spent a long time discussing her after the meeting, although Atemu hadn't appeared quite as eager on the subject as Jono.  Atemu listened patiently to Jono's ravings about her, before they had to go to yet another meeting.  It was becoming tiresome for both of them to be at meetings all day.

Suddenly, voices could be heard from inside the palace, disturbing his train of thought.  He stood aside and bowed his head respectfully as the priests filed out of the palace.  Seto shot him a withering glare, which Jono ignored with much effort.  After the priests had departed, Jono strode inside purposefully.  He knew exactly where he had to go.  He had to find the Pharaoh and accompany him until he went to bed.  He found the meeting room and opened the door without knocking.

"Welcome back Jono.  I trust you knew that these two came in," stated the Pharaoh's voice.  Jono focused on the Pharaoh, and then to where his hand gestured.  Teana and Mana were standing there, trembling all over, staring at the floor.  Well, at least Teana was.  Mana was glaring at Jono, as if them being caught was his fault.

"Umm... no..." he lied.  The Pharaoh smirked.

"You're a terrible liar Jono.  I don't blame you for letting them in.  I know Mana, and I have seen this servant here before.  I trust you know her."

"Yes Atemu.  We've been friends fa several years.  Her name is Teana, she is servant ta Priestess Isis.  I'm sorry I let them in."

"There is no need to be sorry Jono.  You know I like meeting my people, but my schedule means I do not often get to do it.  So, Teana, is there enough food among the people?" he asked eagerly.  Teana nodded without looking up.  Atemu looked disappointed at the short response, but turned to Mana.

"My Pharaoh, we apologize for spying, we were curious as to why it was necessary to call a meeting in the middle of the night," said Mana quickly, displaying her ever-ready talent of being able to say many things on the same breath.

"It's OK Mana, no one will find out.  Unless..."  The dark colour in Atemu's skin was toned down a few notches as blood rushed out of his face. 

"Atemu, what is it?" asked Jono worriedly.

"It's just that these two will be found out of their beds.  There is no possible way they will get home before their master or mistress does," he groaned.

"We could go with dem.  If we can show dem da shortcuts around da city, they'll be sure ta get dere before deir master or mistress does," suggested Jono.  Atemu considered it.  He nodded slowly.

"That just might work.  OK Jono, you go with Mana and take her home.  I'll take Teana."

"But Atemu!  I meant dat we'd both go with both of dem.  I can't let ya go without me.  I have ta protect you.  If you go somewhere without me, you could get hurt.  I'm not allowed ta let ya do dat Atemu," complained Jono.

"Don't worry Jono.  No one's going to know it is me.  I'll disguise myself.  I want to do this Jono," smiled Atemu.  Jono looked uncomfortable and unhappy with the arrangements, but nodded nevertheless.  He gestured for Mana to follow him, throwing Atemu one last disapproving glance; and they exited the room, leaving Atemu with Teana.  Their bickering voices could be heard for moments longer, but they faded quickly.

"Pharaoh..." begun Teana.  It was the first time she had spoken since she had entered the room.  Atemu noted the trembling decibels in her voice, as well as the innocent tone.

"Come Teana.  We must get you home.  Where is Isis' house?" asked Atemu. 

"It's near the palace, only about 10 minutes away," answered Teana obediently.  Atemu thought about it for a moment. 

"OK, listen to me carefully.  I'm going to change into some different clothes so I can go unnoticed, and then we're going to take a secret passage out of here.  If we hurry, we will make it back before Isis," he explained quickly.  Teana nodded, indicating she understood.  Atemu left the room, leaving her alone.

_'Atemu...  Pharaoh Atemu caught us...  and he didn't turn us in?  He's actually helping us?  I can't believe this is happening...'_

Atemu returned, wearing simple peasant clothes.  Teana thought that these clothes didn't suit him as much as his usual white-shirt-with-robe outfit.  He looked a lot plainer, which didn't suit his outrageous tri-coloured hair or his entrancing violet eyes.  She realised she was staring, and looked at her feet, blushing.

"Shall we go?" suggested Atemu.  Teana gave a small nod, glancing up.  Atemu was staring at her, but quickly looked away as her gaze shifted upon him.  He lead her out of the window and into the extensive and exotic garden at the rear of the palace.

"Why are we going here?" whispered Teana, eyes wide in wonder at the plants that she had never known existed.  These plants had extravagant and striking colours, ones that she had never imagined could exist in the whole world, let alone in the harsh desert environment in Egypt.

"There is a shortcut at the back of the palace.  If we hurry, we might be able to arrive before Isis does.  Who knows, she could be back late.  Now, where's that stone?" 

He began running his hand along the bricks.  Teana assumed that one of them pushed out,  but was proved incorrect when Atemu paused on a brick that seemed no different from the others.  He began to scale the wall, placing his feet on slight jutting bricks without even thinking about it.  Teana guessed that he had done this many times before, most likely with Jono at his side.  She followed him, noting the exact place where Atemu placed his foot so that she could imitate is movements a moment later.

"OK, which way is Isis' house from here?" asked Atemu, gesturing around.  Teana looked around, and gasped. 

"That's it, right there!" she exclaimed, pointing at the large mud brick house before them.  Atemu's eyes widened. 

"That's Isis' house?  I can come and see you some time!  When this wave of meetings is finally over, that is," he sighed.  Teana blushed at the thought.  Meeting Pharaoh Atemu again?  He _wanted_ to meet her again?

"Err...  OK..." she said uncertainly.  Atemu smiled, and crawled back over the wall.  Teana let out the breath she had been holding.  The Pharaoh had gone, so she was now left to her own frenzied thoughts. 

_'He's gone Teana...  it's OK...'  _She breathed in and out several times, and composed herself.  _'I don't like Atemu.  He is the Pharaoh.  I am a servant.  I am not _allowed_ to like him.'  _

A slight sound behind her made her jump.  She swung around to find somthing, or rather, some one, glaring at her.  Her heart plummeted and sped up at the same time.  She was sure in trouble now...

-

**Lu:** Ha!  Another cliffie!  Ooh, this is so much fun!  I can't believe it is so easy to leave it at cliffies to piss y'all off!  I know how the rest of you writers feel now.  It feels so evil but so funny! ::insert evil laugh of choice here::

**Yami Lu:** Hey!  That's my job!  ::pout::

**Lu:** Aww, sorry.  That's it anyway.  Review!****


	3. Caught Up Again

**Lu: **I have returned to fanfiction world! Many of you may have noticed my gradual phasing out of this little niche, but I am back! I have been writing this since halfway through last year, but I do have excuses! Let me explain:

1. My thumb drive broke, and then got lost. Well, I lost it. But you know what I mean.

2. The only existing copy that I had left was on a couple of sheets of paper, which I lost several times before finding again.

3. I had yearly exams soon after we came back from the holidays in which I lost my thumb drive.

4. I forgot that I had to write this.

5. H-A told me to write Conflict Duel.

**Lu:** So :P. But I have finished now. Secondly, thanks to all my reviewers:

**XXR.I.PXX, kittygurl1, Eye-Of-Misery, Mai Wheeler, Aa Miw-sher Mutnodjet Kiya, Jellybob, Hysterik-Angel, Shining Friendship, Healing Spirit, horse-crazy-gurl, Darkhope, silver-moon-sapphire-sky**

**Lu:** This chappie isn't very long, but anyone who likes Priest Seto will enjoy it. So enjoy!

-

**In Adoration of Ra**

**Chapter 3 – Caught Up Again**

"If that's all that needs to be discussed, then this council is now dismissed," announced Atemu. High Priest Seto left with the flock priests, who were all discussing the meeting in hushed voices. Seto himself, however, did not join in the conversations, being a not very social person. The small crowd was filing out of the palace gates when Seto caught sight of Jono standing guard, his head bowed in quiet respect. Seto glared at him, which provoked no response from Jono, much to Seto's disappointment.

"I'm going home," he informed the other priest. They nodded dismissively and moved on, not pausing in their discussions. Once they had disappeared from sight so that Seto was completely alone, he fumbled in his robes for the parchment. What was written on it was absolutely confidential, meant for his eyes only. The hand that it was written in was that of Seto's fellow priest - Akunadin. He had been slipped the letter the night before, but had not had that chance to read it yet.

-

_Seto,_

_I am still trying to find a ka powerful enough for you. The Pharaoh undoubtedly has a very strong ka, so it is compulsory for us to find a ka powerful enough to destroy his. However, I have heard rumours of a White Dragon ka residing in a girl of about your age, somewhere around the city. Keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour._

_Akunadin_

-

Seto considered Akunadin's words. He had offered to help him find a powerful ka, one so powerful that it could even overthrow the Pharaoh. Seto, although thinking it was highly unlikely that Akunadin was doing this entirely from the goodness of his heart, accepted his offer. Before Akunadin, Seto had never considered overthrowing the Pharaoh. Although Atemu was an excellent Pharaoh, he was still a child, and it would have been better if an adult were to run the country for a while. And since they were ruling for a while, why not rule until they are dead?

The idea of a White Dragon ka intrigued him also. Although it was a distant memory, he recalled seeing one once, when he was a small child. He couldn't remember much in the way of details, but the vision of a huge White Dragon was hard to erase from his mind.

A flicker in the bushes disrupted his reading. He glanced at it, but there was nothing visible, so he resumed reading. But no, there it was again. After a fraction of a second of thought, he decided to go in further to investigate.

But that turned out to be unnecessary, as two figures tumbled out of the bushes. One of them was easily recognisable as Jono, the Pharaoh's bodyguard, and the other was a girl that Seto knew to be Mahado's apprentice.

"Ouch!" yelled Jono, as the girl practically stood on is head in order to get up. "What da hell was dat for, Mana?"

"I didn't mean to, you pushed me! There's no possible way we're going to make it back in time no…" moaned Mana, leaving Jono to get himself up. Neither of them noticed Seto standing in front of them, as quiet and still as a cat stalking his prey. A moment later, he cleared his throat. Jono's head snapped to him, and his dark skin drained of all colour. Mana, still complaining about Jono's lack of co-ordination and speed, didn't quite catch the cough. She tuned back to Jono, still ranting, but fell silent when she saw him. She followed his gaze to find High Priest Seto standing before them.

"Umm… we're sorry, High Priest Seto, we'll get out of your way now," said Jono hastily, getting to his feet and tugging Mana back in the direction of the bushes. Mana stood frozen for a moment, but then came to her senses and followed Jono. But Seto was too quick. He grabbed the back of Mana's tunic.

"Bit late for that now, isn't it Jono? Where were you two off to?" he asked in a sneering voice. Jono gulped, afraid of the suddenly demonic looking Seto, but didn't reply.

"We were… going to… umm…" Mana began lamely, unable to think of a believable excuse as to why they would be out at that time of night. Seto snorted. He had expected a little more from such a seemingly feisty young woman.

"I think you two better come with me," suggested Seto icily, turning back towards the palace, although not before stuffing the letter back into his robes. Jono made a sound somewhere between a whimper and a growl, but Seto turned back, face plastered with a glare. Jono knew there was no way out of this that would save Atemu, Teana, Mana _and_ himself. But if _they_ had been caught…what about Atemu?

They followed Seto doggedly towards the palace, and back into the meeting room. But, much to Seto's surprise, Atemu was not inside. Nor was he in any of the other rooms of the palace, which was evident by the time he had rushed through and checked them all. Atemu had disappeared.

"Where did the Pharaoh go?" demanded Seto, addressing Jono. Jono shrugged, but didn't meet Seto's eyes. Seto knew that Jono knew where the Pharaoh was, but Jono was loyal to Atemu, and he wasn't about to tell him willingly.

'_However,'_ thought Seto, eyes narrowing and mouth stretching into an evil smile, _'there is more than one way to make a man talk.'_

But that turned out not to be necessary. Mana cracked.

"He took Teana back to Priestess Isis' house," she blurted out, and then realised what she said and covered her mouth in surprise and regret. It was too late, though. Seto's eyes glinted frighteningly, and a devilish smile spread across his face. He grabbed both Jono's and Mana's arms and dragged them back out of the palace.

"No, Seto, he wasn't! I just told Mana that so that she'd come with me!" whined Jono hopelessly, trying to hinder Seto as much as possible. Seto simply ignored Jono, continuing to pull them forward. They arrived at Isis' house quickly, and Seto pulled all three of them down into the bushes, settling into a crouching position and covering his captive's mouths with his hands. It turned out they were just in time – moments after they had concealed themselves in the bushes, a hand appeared at the top of the wall, and was momentarily followed by the head and torso of the Pharaoh.

"Yes…" hissed Seto. Atemu dropped down and landed cat-like on the ground. A slight moan emitted from the other side of the wall, and Teana hauled herself over, and landed considerably less gracefully than Atemu. They had a short, hushed conversation, and Atemu crawled back over the wall.

"Please Seto, don't do it," moaned Joey, but Seto simply clamped a hand over Jono's mouth. He continued to watch his prey like a hawk, ignoring the muffled protests of Jono, until Jono bit him on the hand. Seto let go immediately, clutching his hand and wincing, while Jono took this opportunity to call out to Teana. However, Teana seemed too preoccupied to notice.

"Be quiet, you idiot," growled Seto, but decided it was time to strike, lest Jono destroy the advantage of surprise. He stepped out from behind the bushes, pulling his captives up behind him.

-

Isis returned home, yawning widely. The midnight secret meetings that the Pharaoh had been calling lately were depriving her of sleep that she desperately needed. When the Pharaoh was a little younger, he called one or two, savouring the opportunity to stay up late. But now, when most priests felt there was little need for them, the Pharaoh was calling them almost weekly. Most of the priests were irritated by this 'necessity', but as they were called by the Pharaoh, there was little they could do to oppose them.

She rounded the corner to where the sleeping quarters were. She, unlike most other priests and nobles, shared the same sleeping area with her servants. On instinct, she decided to quickly check in on Teana, who hadn't been sleeping well lately. But as she popped her head inside Teana's room, she saw, not one sleeping person as she had expected, but four people, all wide awake.

"Isis, do forgive me for disturbing you after the terribly late night you have just had, but there is something I need to discuss with you," said Seto fluently, standing up from his stool. He had been preparing this speech inside his head while he waited for Isis to return.

Isis, startled, looked around at the other people. Sitting on the bed, her knees hugged tightly against her chest as she curled up in the foetal position, was Teana, looking frightened. A man was haunting the corner, who was easily recognisable as Jono, the Pharaoh's ever-present bodyguard. And the small girl pacing the room was Mana, Mahado's apprentice. She shook her head, as if trying to come to grips with the situation. What was High Priest Seto doing with a servant, an apprentice and a bodyguard for company? And what were they doing in her house, in her servant's bedroom?

"I'm sorry, Priest Seto, but I do not understand. Why are you here?" asked Isis, dreading the answer. There was only one reason why the High Priest would be here with such a strange group – it _had_ to be bad news.

"I'm afraid I caught your servant, Teana, and Mahado's apprentice, Mana, being escorted back to their rooms by the Pharaoh and his dog, Jono." At this, Jono made a gurgling noise in his throat, something between a snarl and a growl. Seto glanced over at him, smirking, before turning back to Isis.

"I see. Teana, is this true?" Isis asked in an accusing voice. Teana did not move, still staring pleadingly at the floor as if it could swallow her up and make it all go away. Isis shook her head, knowing that this most likely meant yes. She then directed her attention to Mana.

"Mana, what were you and Teana doing out of bed at this hour? And why were you in the company of the Pharaoh and his bodyguard?"

"I'm sorry, Priestess Isis, but it was all my fault. I convinced Teana to accompany me in spying on this so-called important midnight meeting. The Pharaoh knew we were there and called us in after the meeting had been dismissed. He told Jono to take me back to Mahado's house while he took Teana back here. Jono and I got in a bit of an argument while we were hiding from High Priest Seto and he caught us. And… that's what happened."

Isis sighed unhappily. "Teana, it's not easy to say this, but I can not let this one slip. Usually I am able to excuse you from most of your misadventures, but as this is a matter that goes all the way up to the Pharaoh, this cannot go unpunished. Priest Seto, Jono, Mana, please excuse Teana and me."

"Of course, Priestess. Come Mana, mutt." Mana and Jono followed Priest Seto out of the room, Jono swearing in his native language under his breath.

Teana finally moved from her position, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Please Isis, I didn't mean to… I didn't want to… I'm sorry…" she wailed, tears filling her eyes.

"Ssh… Teana, it's fine. I don't blame you. I know how Mana can be. But please, Teana, do not do it again. The Pharaoh and Jono will be in serious trouble if the High Priest tells anyone, so I have to convince him that I am taking care of your punishment," whispered Isis. Teana sniffed heartily but nodded. Isis stood up, stroked Teana's hair in a motherly fashion, and left the room.

Teana lay back on the bed, breathing heavily. She was safe. Finally. _'What a wild night! First, we get caught by the Pharaoh. Then I am escorted back to my house by the Pharaoh of Egypt. Then I am caught by the High Priest, before returning to my mistress's house only to escape punishment. Could this get any weirder?'_

Unfortunately for her, it could. A soft rustle from her window announced the arrival of an unexpected visitor, or visitors. She gasped as two figures clambered through the window, one graceful and the other less so.

"Oh **Isis**! What are you doing here?" **_(A/N: When I say Isis here, I refer to the god rather than Teana's mistress. From here on in, I'm going to refer to the goddess Isis in bold.)_**

-

**Lu:** Another cliffie! I did give you a hint as to who they were though. You're all welcome to guess. In fact, I'll dedicate a chapter to the first correct guess of the two people who have joined her. Review!


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